


A Place of Victories

by AndyWBlackstorn



Series: Through Chrissie's eyes (alternative universe) [11]
Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Queen (Band)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Family, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fluff, Gen, Through Chrissie's eyes, through Chrissie's eyes verse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-06
Updated: 2019-05-06
Packaged: 2020-02-27 05:57:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18732979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AndyWBlackstorn/pseuds/AndyWBlackstorn
Summary: In a moment he never imagined, Brian and his family return to Imperial College once more for a more than special occasion, the day he also becomes Dr. May, a doctor of Astrophysics. (part of Through Chrissie's Eyes universe)





	A Place of Victories

It was a beautiful summer day in the English capital. London was a little warmer due to the season, leaving its typical humidity a bit aside to let the sun shine. This climate matched what the May family and especially its patriarch celebrated.

It was no different that morning, as it had always been since Brian and Chrissie were married. He woke up first than her, the reason for the time being the anxiety about his graduation. It took exactly 33 years for this day to come, another of his almost impossible dreams, but Brian had lived through many impossible things so far, and this was yet another one he was managing to accomplish.

Another habit that didn't change was to prepare breakfast, and so, there he was, preparing the meal, waiting for Chrissie and Emily to accompany him. Their youngest daughter still lived with her parents, Louisa had decided to live in a small apartment at age 21, while Jimmy had been married to Rory for six years.

Brian heard a certain movement upstairs, and tried to figure out who it was, his daughter, or his wife. Emily appeared, coming down the stairs with a sleepy face and her hair inherited by her father still a little messy.

"Good morning my flower!" he said when his daughter reached the kitchen "fell out of bed?"

"I look like I fell, but you fell, waking up early as always." Emily inherited the family's sense of humor. "You're anxious, aren't you? I know you are, Dr. May."

"I'm not yet a Doctor," her father countered, "I've been approved, but I'll only consider myself a Doctor when I have my degree in my hand."

"I know, Dad, I have the same feeling about college," Emily said as she poured herself coffee and toast.

Chrissie emerged later, smiling as she saw her husband and daughter in lively conversation.

"Good morning, my loves," she said to Emily and Brian. "It's good to see you standing by now."

"Yeah, we'll have a busy morning," Brian said anxiously.

"Yes, my love, can you believe it? You're graduating at age 58." Chrissie put her hand on her chin as she said this, leaning forward, looking at her husband with admiration.

"It wasn't because I wanted to, and 58 it's not that old, don't make me feel so old," Brian replied rather slyly.

"But I say that with pride, you know that," Chrissie pointed out, "you've managed to finish anyway, and that is the important thing, no matter how long it took."

"You didn't need to blame Queen for being late." Emily remembered the dedication of the doctorate.

"I didn't put it in that way." Brian frowned. "I just put "circumstances that came along the way."

"I know Dad, I'm just joking, you thank my uncles and Mom, too," Emily added.

"Okay, it's enough of a joke" Chrissie caught the attention of her husband and daughter "we have an hour before leaving so we won't get late."

"Yes, ma'am, Mama," Emily nodded, which made her father laugh.

It wasn't long before the three Mays were ready and on their way to Imperial College. To Chrissie, however much she knew how common it was for her husband to be anxious and nervous at times, she found it interesting the way they were now. Generally, Brian calmed her much more, since she was more nervous than he was, but now he needed her comfort.

"I think the worst is over, isn't it, my love?" she broke the silence, holding his hand "writing the thesis is much more complicated than receiving the degree."

"Yeah, I know," Brian laughed, "but still, all the seriousness of the ceremony and being called so in front of everyone, makes me a little embarrassed."

"I know how you feel, but it's a great honor, and feel good about accepting it, because you deserve it, don't forget that," Chrissie said, kissing her husband's cheek.

So, arriving at the campus that was properly arranged for the occasion, they eventually met Rory and Jimmy. Isaac, at the height of the impulsivity and joy of his two years old recognized his grandparents and ran to meet them.

"Look who came!" Chrissie took her grandson in her lap "how beautiful you are, Isaac!"

"Oh, your running away, you can't run like that, you let Mommy worried," Rory scolded him, but the little boy just laughed. "Hi, Auntie Chrissie, how nice you came, I thought we were late."

"No, no, we're extremely punctual." Older Mrs. May checked the clock to confirm.

"Well, I'll meet you later," Brian told them, "I need to get dressed and go to my place."

"Do you need help Dad?" Emily offered, handing her his scholarship.

"No, my dear, thank you," he smiled at his youngest daughter, "I'll see you later."

Chrissie sat down with her two children and her daughter-in-law, hoping Louisa wouldn't be long.

Brian went to the bathroom and, after putting on the scholarship, looked at himself for a moment. The grief of the years was marked on his face. Certainly he wasn't the same person who had begun his thesis on intergalactic dust back in 1974. He had gone through so many things, sad and happy, but he was content, even at age 58, to have finished something that was so important to him. He allowed himself to be proud of his deed, as Chrissie had recommended.

Before he sat in the place reserved for the students, he felt someone hold his shoulder. He jumped in fright, but laughed with joy at seeing Louisa.

"Don't make me faint before I get my degree, Lou," her father said as he held her. "I'm glad you came."

"I'm just a little short, but I want to be there to cheer you up," she said, and noticed her father's tears forming. "Hey, no crying, we'll call you Dr. May very soon."

"Not you, I want you to call me Daddy," Brian advised.

"You know I'll always will," Louisa agreed, giving her father another hug.

She took her place with her family, watching Brian sit down with the other students. He made a face of eager for the Mays, who answered him with a smile.

The Dean of Imperial College then began his speech, saying that it was an honor to receive the family and friends of the students and very gratifying to be able to give them their much-desired degree and thank them for their contributions to the Academy.

After the applause and without further ado, they began to call the names of the students. From a distance his family could see that Brian's nervousness had increased, his eyes were attentive, but glazed with each teacher and each one who they called.

"Brian H. May," the dean called, and he stood up, looking at his family as he walked over to the dean.

His wife, daughter-in-law and children were standing, applauding him, which made him very happy and grateful that they were there, enjoying an important part of his life.

"I declare you officially Doctor in Astrophysics, congratulations!" The dean shook his hand, handing the diploma away.

Brian thanked him and sat back in his seat, moved, barely believing that right there in his hands was proof that he had accomplished yet another dream.

At the end of the ceremony, the students stood and returned to their families and friends, only to perform the traditional act of throwing the cap up. It was another strange sensation for Brian, another thing that had taken so long to happen, and he was there, with other trainees much younger than him, but regardless of time, the important thing was that they all made one of their many dreams come true. Even dreams that the young people still dreamed of and Brian had already accomplished.

Dr. May was a little fumbled as he reached for his cape back, crouched down with some difficulty to find it, but eventually found it, and when he stood up, he came upon his family, all ready to congratulate him again. Jimmy was the first to hug him.

"I'm so proud of you father," said the son, "after all, it was worth waiting for."

"I should tell you this," Brian laughed softly, "but it's my turn to hear it from you today, and I'm happy to make you proud of me."

"We're always going to be father," Emily said, "really."

"Okay, I got it," the old patriarch began to feel even more emotional, "stop before I start crying."

"Ah, as if that were possible," Rory joked, and the family laughed, even Isaac, even though he didn't quite understand why.

"You have the camera, don't you, Lou?" Chrissie remembered. "Take some pictures of us."

"Mom, are you all right?" replied Louisa, "you hate pictures."

"I don't hate it when special occasions happen," objected his mother, "and besides, if you have one exception that I open to take pictures, it's for family portraits."

"Great idea, my love." Brian kissed his wife's face, approving the idea, then settling everyone, using his photographer skills.

Rory took pictures of her in-laws, her sister-in-laws and her husband, the original May family, then she handed the camera to Louisa, who took a picture of Rory with Brian, and then the two of them with Jimmy and Isaac.

"Now one of Daddy's with Mama," Emily pointed out, "and of course of our Doctor."

"Right, right." Brian straightened his posture, pulling Chrissie slowly closer to him, resting a hand on her waist.

"Cheese ..." said Isaac, which made his grandparents laugh, which made their smile in the picture much more beautiful and natural.

"Now only you, my love," said Chrissie proudly.

Brian felt flattered, as he always did when his wife complimented him. After so many years together, Chrissie didn't have to say anything, her gaze conveyed all her love and pride for him.

Remembering this, and happy to finally have his dreamed diploma in his hands, he lifted it up, thus getting in the picture Louisa took.

Before their children and daughter-in-law left, they promised Chrissie and Brian that they would visit them later.

Being alone, Chrissie spent time alone with her husband. She took Brian's hand and guided him to the campus exit, down the long path where they walked slowly.

"How things have changed here ..." sighed Mrs. May, looking around, seeing that it was very different from the times Queen performed there.

There were more buildings and most of the wooded area was farther away now.

"Yes, it has changed a lot." Brian looked at her, then back at around them, but then he looked at his wife, seeing how pensive she was, Brian had an idea of the reason, but preferred to ask "what are you thinking?"

"Oh ... it seems like this is the last time we're going to come here, by the way," said Mrs. May, pondering - or do you think you can come again?"

"I don't know, Chrissie, maybe ..." Brian also began to reflect. "I think so, for academic and nonmusical reasons, who knows, we always go back here, don't we?"

"Yeah," she smiled, remembering, "wasn't it more or less here that you proposed to me to us to live together?"

"It's almost here," Brian glanced around to confirm. "You can't tell precisely because of the changes, but what a memory, Chrissie!"

"Oh, there's another important thing that happened here that I'm sure you'll remember," Mrs. May continued the subject !remember that show of divulging of the first album?"

"Oh, I'm sure I know what show you're talking about." He put an arm around his wife's shoulders. "I asked you to marry me in the auditorium."

"And I accepted," she added, "and today you've finally become a Doctor, at the same Imperial College that happened all this."

"Really, even if I never come back here, it's an impossible place to forget," Brian agreed, reliving the memories in his mind, "for all the years I've studied here, but more for the remarkable events."

Before Dr. and Mrs. May left campus, Brian took one last look at Imperial College, the place that would always bring him some of his best memories. He considered college the place where he took the first steps to build his life, and for all the knowledge he got there, academic or personal experiences, he would be grateful that Imperial College was a part of who Brian was.


End file.
